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“Advent is traditionally a time of anticipation, waiting and expectation, but I never felt it as strongly as I did this year,” says Stephen J. Lee, Trinity’s new organist and choir director. After serving since September 1 as the interim organist, Steve was officially appointed to his post December 20 over several other candidates considered by a search committee.

* * *

Last Saturday’s ice storm led to a loss of direct communications between the Edmond Town Hall switchboard and the town’s fire companies and ambulance that lasted from Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning. Thanks to volunteer firemen of Newtown Hook & Ladder Company, however, an improvised emergency communications system was kept functioning.

* * *

The Newtown Bee received three awards last weekend at the New England Press Association’s annual awards dinner at the Sheraton Hotel in Boston. In the weekly class two category (circulation of 5,000 and up), The Bee won first place for the best classified advertising section. Also in NEPA’s weekly class two category, The Bee took third place for a “bright idea” promotion award, and third place for best sports story.

* * *

Acting Superintendent of Schools A. Winthrop Ballard Tuesday presented the Board of Education with a budget for the 1982-83 school year 10.9 percent higher than this year’s, calling the $11,772,994 figure a “valid point of departure” for the upcoming year. Mr Ballard attributed much of the increase to increases in purchased services and capital outlay. But one area of concern for several residents who attended Tuesday night’s meeting was the increase in teachers’ salaries, finalized with the teachers’ union earlier this month.

* * *

A new communications system to be installed at the Edmond Town Hall switchboard may slow routine calls coming in until employees get used to the new machines, chief switchboard operator Marjorie LaRoche said Tuesday. She said one advantage to the new system is that emergency calls will show up separately from routine calls so that those calls will have priority.

* * *

Ice on outside propane tanks stopped the gas regulator on the tanks from functioning at Essex House on Route 6 Tuesday [which resulted in a fire]. Assistant Fire Marshal George Lockwood said the blaze was ignited from the leaky regulators and set the kitchen of the building on fire. Mr Lockwood said that several holes in the wall resulted from the blaze. He said the leaky tanks were “like a blow torch.”

 

February 1, 1957

The contract for the construction of an eight-room school, and a convent to house Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who will teach in the school, has been let to B.J. Dolan Construction Company of Bethel by St Rose Parish it has been announced by the pastor, the Rev Walter R. Conroy. Funds raised in a parish campaign last year will pay for part of the cost. Fr Conroy reported that the new buildings will be constructed on church property on Church Hill Road, will face north, occupying the southeasterly portion of the tract.

* * *

Several habits have developed in town which are dangerous and impede the work of the Newtown Fire Department in answering calls. It is requested, particularly, that cars do not follow fire trucks to fires. It is also requested that in reporting a fire, the exact location be given so that the fire trucks can take the most direct route from the fire house. It is asked, too, that townspeople refrain from calling the switchboard at the town hall to ask the location of the fire and that bystanders do not enter buildings which are on fire.

* * *

The Boy Scouts Explorer post No 65 of Long Hill presented a 21-inch table model television set to Fairfield State Hospital on Monday evening, January 21. The members of the Post purchased the set with proceeds received from the sale of Christmas trees. The presentation ceremony took place in Kent House where the set has been placed for the enjoyment of the patients.

* * *

Tentative plans were made for the establishment of a Babe Ruth Baseball League in Newtown this summer at a meeting held Thursday evening, January 24, at Edmond Town Hall. It was suggested that three or four teams of players, most of them graduated by age from the Newtown Little League, could be formed and seek affiliation with the National Babe Ruth League which now operates in 47 states and plays eliminations resulting in a “world series” at the end of the season.

* * *

Newtown’s first town-owned police car, a 1957 Chevrolet V-8 two-door sedan, arrived this week at Liberty Garage, and delivery to the town is expected this Friday. The car, to be used by Police Officer Hiram Hanlon, is painted ivory color and bears the inscription “Town of Newtown — POLICE” on the doors. The cost of the car and snow tires totals $1,958.81.

* * *

Some sections of Connecticut are beginning to experience heavy kills of deer by free-roaming dog packs, reports the State Game Board. Deep snows crusted over so that deer break through, but the lighter dogs run on top, cover large areas of the state. Dog owners are urged to keep their family pets confined during this critical winter period. Dogs pursuing deer can be shot by State Wardens, and the owners of the dogs can be arrested and prosecuted.

 

January 29, 1932

Whereas a rabid dog has recently run at large in the towns of Newtown, Southbury and Oxford, thereby exposing persons, dogs and other domestic animals to the infectious disease know as rabies now, the Commissioner on Domestic Animals hereby makes and promulgates the following rules and regulations for confining, controlling, vaccinating and destroying dogs, and other animals. Sec. 1 – All dogs or other animals in said towns  known to have been bitten by a rabid dog or other animal shall forthwith be mercifully killed by the dog wardens. Sec 2 – All dogs in said towns known to have been in contact with a rabid dog shall be quarantined in close confinement to the acceptance of the dog wardens. Sec 3 – All  dogs in said towns shall be quarantined in close confinement or securely chained on the premises of the owner or keeper and no dog shall be allowed to go at large EXCEPT dogs being led on leashes not more than five feet in length or hunting dogs while actually engaged in hunting. The dog warden in said towns shall humanely kill all stray dogs and take into custody every dog with collar and license tag not confined and controlled.

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At a special town meeting held at the Edmond Town hall, last Friday night, it was voted to specify the continuation of the three sections of road which have been worked under the state aid program, the money from the state being divided equally between the three sections. It was voted to authorize the building committee of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library to sell at public auction the buildings on the Annex property so-called.

* * *

At a conference at the offices of the H. Wales Lines Co, in Meriden, Wednesday, a strike involving 45 carpenters employed by that company on the Fairfield State hospital in Newtown was adjusted. The walkout of carpenters followed a heated argument on the hospital grounds. The slaters contended that the shingles were not made of wood and therefore carpenters were not qualified under their union rules to lay them. On the other hand the carpenters asserted that composition shingles were not slate and therefore could not be laid by slaters.

* * *

A Few Words With President Pelley: Believe it or not, President Pelley, Newtown has four commodious railroad stations, where no passengers go in or out. Isn’t this a condition that should be looked into? With Newtown having a summer  population in excess of the all year round residents of 2,000 or more, isn’t it about time to think of getting some of those passenger trains running again, Brother Pelley?

* * *

An important real estate deal was effected, this week, when Selectman T.F. Brew bought of the Fabric Fire Hose Co, all their land holdings in town, except the factories and factory sites, comprising some 90 acres. This includes the beautiful virgin pine timber on the Black bridge road, the land east of the railroad station including the coal sheds, the rye-lot where the boys used to play ball and the pine timber in the rear of the Pootatuck school.

* * *

BOWLING NOTES: Last Friday night was an evening of rejoicing for the Hawks in spite of the fact that they lost five out of six games to the Eagles. The reason for the merriment was the sensational bowling of Captain Bill Siegert. The pint sized pin-smasher was in rare form and his three game run of 387 broke this long standing record by 23 pins. To make this total, Bill had a single game of 155 which still stands as the single game record.

 

February 1, 1907

Dr H.E. Waite, who has a summer residence in Dodgingtown district, has greatly interested himself in the Newtown High school and has recently presented to it a comparatively large and valuable static machine for generating electricity. This machine is greatly needed by the classes in physics and is appreciated by them. Dr Waite, who owns a large electrical supply store in New York, is planning to move his store and when he does so there is a prospect held out for another donation.

* * *

A special meeting of the Newtown borough has been warned to be held at the Brick building on Friday, February 1, at 7:30 pm, for the purpose of taking action regarding the purchase of fire hose; also for the purpose of taking action regarding contracting with the Newtown Water Co for the use of hydrants; also to appoint a committee to act in conjunction with the committee of the Newtown Water Co to petition the General Assembly for an extension of the borough limits.

* * *

A party of finishers and trimmers of the Deloughery Hat Co’s factory went to Newtown, Monday evening, on a sleigh ride and had supper and a dance at the Grand Central hotel. Although Landlord Houlihan of the Grand Central was ill, he could not resist the invitation to join his guests in the festivities and led the grand march in company with Miss Maggie O’Brien. Supper was served at 11:30 and the party reached home in the early hours of the morning.

* * *

A number of “old folks” renewed their youth Monday night, and joined in with the boys in their sliding on Church hill. The moon was at its best and the temperature at about zero. At Auger’s market, Sunday morning, the thermometer registered 10 degrees below zero. Miss Bessie Doran of Hopewell had the misfortune, last Thursday morning, in going from her home to the schoolhouse, a distance of about a quarter of a mile, to freeze her nose. The thermometer was 20 degrees below zero in that locality on that morning.

* * *

William C. Johnson, Newtown’s genial ice man, was confined to his home in South Center, for a couple of days, last week, under Dr Kiernan’s care. He was out, Monday, for a time and looked in on the ice workers who were hustling in the frozen blocks under the direction of C.B. Johnson and Birdsey Beardsley.